Dubai

The stretch on a short-haul list: Heathrow to Dubai takes around seven to seven and a half hours, so it only suits a family happy to sit through a long-haul-length flight. The payoff is halal food almost everywhere: UAE rules require imported meat and poultry to be halal certified, and pork is sold only in separate supermarket sections, though it is worth asking in hotel restaurants. Atlantis Aquaventure holds the Guinness World Record for the most water slides in a water park, 50. Go December to February, when highs sit around 24 to 26°C; May to September runs 38 to 43°C. The FCDO names no areas to avoid but warns the region has been unpredictable since conflict began in early 2026, and flights can be canceled at short notice.